MDS Alert

Published on Fri May 26, 2006 PDF

Here's how to help those who've lost interest in their usual activities.

A gentle nudge into activities may be just what the doctor or nurse orders for a resident who's lost interest in his usual activities and socialization.

These residents will be coded as a "1" or "2" at E1o (withdrawal from activities of interest) and E1p (reduced social interaction).      
An individualized activity program that focuses on what each resident finds meaningful and helps make his day worthwhile can lower a facility's prevalence of depression  and antidepressant use, says Joanne Hayden, PhD, an activities and quality-of-life consultant in Indianapolis.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' revised activities survey guidance suggests the following strategies for a resident who has withdrawn from his usual activity interests and customary routines and stays in his room or bed most of the day.

• Provide activities just before or after meal time and where the meal is being served (out of the room);

• Provide in-room volunteer visits, music, or videos of choice;

• Encourage volunteer-type work that begins in the room and needs to be completed outside of the room, or a small group activity in the resident's room, if the resident agrees; working on failure-free activities, such as simple structured crafts or other activity with a friend; having the resident assist another person;

• Invite the person to special events with a trusted peer or family/friend;

• Engage the person in activities that give him or her a sense of value (e.g., intergenerational activities that emphasize the resident's oral history knowledge);

• Invite the resident to participate on facility committees;

• Invite the resident outdoors; and 

• Involve the resident in gross motor exercises (e.g., aerobics, light weight training) to increase energy and uplift mood.